Hydraulic elevator



(No Model.) 2 sneets-sheegzf T; W. EATON.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR. No. 561,047; Patented May 26, 1896.

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ANDREW BISIYAMAM4 PNUTOUTHQWASNINETDKDL.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

THOMAS IV. EATON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part ef Lettere Patent No. 561,04*?,detee1 Mey 2e,189e.

Serial No. 348,705. (No model.)

To all whom, it' 7am/y concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS V. EATGN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Hydraulic Elevators, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to hydraulic elevators, and more particularly toimprovements in the valves and valve operating or controlling mechanismby or through which the supply and discharge of the water to and fromthe hydraulic cylinder is regulated, as fully set forth hereinafter, andas illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aside elevation, partly in section, of my improved elevator. Fig. 2 is aplan of the cylinder and valve-chest and the safety-valve mechanism.Fig. 3 is a central vertical'section through the valve. Fig. 4 is across-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview of the valve-seat sleeve or cylinder. Fig. 6 is an end view of thesame. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the valve. Fig. 8 is an endview of the same.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the hydraulic cylinder; A',the hydraulic cylinder; A2, its piston-stem; A2, the stationary sheavearound which the cable passes, and A4 the movable sheave which is movedto and fro by the piston of the hydraulic cylinder. The outer end of thepiston A2 and the sheave A4 are furnished with friction wheels orrollers A5, that travel on the track A6.

B is the elevator-ear, which is actuated by the hydraulic engine throughthe cable B', which passes over `the stationary pulley B2 and around thesheaves A2 A4.

C is the valve case or shell, having a watersupply passage or port c,connecting with the supply-pipe C', a passage or port c', connectingwith the pipe C2, leading to the hydraulic cylinder A, and a dischargepassage or port c2, connecting with the discharge-pipe C3.

D and D' are respectively the supply and discharge valves, which areconnected with and operated from the operating-lever E on the car, ashereinafter stated, or in some other suitable way, an d forming themainl or reversing valve of the elevator, and F and F' are thevalve-seat sleeves or cylinders in which the valves D D fit, and theport-s f,with which both are provided, are closed by the said valves.

The valves D D are hollow cylinders with arms and hub, as shown at Figs.7 and 8, and fit loosely upon the valve-stem d, which reciprocates insuitable bearings d CZ in the case or shell C. The valve-stem d isfurnished with an enlargement d2, rigid therewith,which abuts againstthe valve D or D and causes the same to move with the valve-stem inopposite directions. The spiral springs cl3, surrounding the valve-stemCZ, move the valves D D in the direction opposite to that in which theyare moved by the stem d. The valveport cylinders F F have internalshoulders f2, against which the ends of the valves D D abut,and saidvalves have external shoulders d4, which set up against the oppositeends of the sleeves F F. The abutting ends and shoulders of the twotelescoping parts F D or F' D are fitted to each other, so as to make atight closure at these abutting points or joints. By this means I securea tight closure between the two telescopin g parts when the abuttingpoints are brought together, and I am also permitted to make the tbetween their cylindrical surfaces so loose as to permit the water tocirculate between them at other times. By this loose fit the movement ofthe valve is made very easy and almost entirely free from friction. Itshould also be observed that the valve-stem d, which slides in itsbearings df in the valve case or shell C, supports or sustains thevalves D D', and thus also serves to prevent friction between the valvesand the sleeves or chambers within which they reciprocate. At thebearings or points where thevalve-stem d extends through the case C andits dividing-wall C4, I provide cup-shaped packings or stuffing-boxes C5The valve-stem d is operated from the lever E on the car by means of acylinder G and its piston G, mounted on the car, and a correspondingcylinder g and its piston g', the stem of which is connected to or madeintegral with the valve-stem d. The cylinders G and g are connectedtogether by pipes G2 g2, connecting the opposite ends of the twocylinders. A portion g2 of each of these pipes G2 g2 is made of hose orother flexible material to permit the movement of the car up and down.The two cylinders G g and the IOO pipes connecting the same constitute-aclosed circuit or system, the same being iilled with some liquid,preferably one of an antifreczing character. The lever E is pivoted tothe piston G, the lever being normally in its upright or middleposition, as indicated in the drawings, and the piston G at the middleof its stroke. Then the piston G is moved in either direction by thelever E, a corresponding movement is communicated to the piston g andthe valve-stein d through the liquid in the closed circuit or system ofpipes connecting the two cylinders. The cylinder G is furnished alsowith a pipe connection G3 between its two ends7 the same being furnishedwith a cock G'l for keeping the same normally closed. The purpose ofthis pipe G and cock Gi is for ad just-ing or equalizing the amount ofthe liquid on each side of the piston of the cylinder G when theapparatus is in its normal position. This is done by opening the cock G4and then moving the lever E sufficiently to bring about a balance uponthe two sides of the pistou. Then thus equalized,the cock G4 may beclosed. During this adjustment the operating-valves will remainstationary by reason of the pressure of the springs and of the greaterpressure upon one side thereof, as described farther on.

ll and H are the automatic safety-valves mounted upon the valve-ste1n7l, and K and K are the valve-seat sleeves or cylinders in which thevalves Il ll' lit. These valves and sleeves are of the same constructionand operation as the valves and sleeves D F and D F' before described,and have bearings 71", springs 71.3, stuffing-boxes 71,, ports 7c and k,internal shoulders 7c?, and external shoulders 7e3, all corresponding tothe similar features of the main or reversing valves. Upon the valvestem7L are placed two collars h2, one at the outer side of each of thevalves H and ll'. These collars, being rigid upon the stem, carry thevalves into position to close the ports of their sleeves, one in 011edirection and the other in the opposite direction, and the springs h3open them by moving them in directions opposite to the movement impartedby the collars, the operation oi the cellars and springs being thereverse of the enlargement and springs of the main valves.

The valve-stem h is operated automatically by the movement of thehydraulic piston A2 by double-end cam-levers N, sustained by supportspivoted at n to the frame of the ma chine and which are engaged by aprojection or roller a, borne on the lower end of a crank a2, attachedto the non-rotating axle a' of the wheels A, the levers N beingconnected to the valve-ste1n 7i by links n. There are two of theselevers N, one arranged at each limit of the movement of the piston A2,one operating to close the supply-valve Il. when the car is at the topand the other operating to close the discharge-valve II when the carreaches the bottom. The links n are jointed to sleeves N upon theextension of valvestem h, and said sleeves are conlined between collarsN2 and N3, springs N4 being interposed between the sleeves and thecollars N3. These springs are intended to allow for any excess ofmovement imparted to the sleeves above what is necessary to close thevalves.

The valve seat or port sleeves F F' and K K are rigidly secured to thevalve case or shell C, but are preferably made separate from the case orshell for convenience of con struction. The automatic valves ll ll,boththe supply and discharge, are normally held open by the springs h3 andare only closed when the car reaches the extreme of its travel at top orbottom, the supply-valve ll. being automatically closed when theearreachcs the top and the discharge-valve ll being automatically closedwhen the car reaches the bottom. By this means all danger of accidentsfrom carelessness or inattention on the part of the operator on the caris avoided. The hand-operated valves D D, both the supply-valve and thedischarge-valve, are held normally closed by their springs d and areonly opened by the movement of the operating-lever E on the car. Themovement of the lever E in one direction opens the supplyvalve D and inthe other direction opens the discharge-valve D.

The valve-shell is divided by the wall C", so as to separate the supplyand the discharge, and the passages are so arranged as to compel thewater to pass both valves ll and l) when entering and to pass valves Dand ll' when discharging. As shown at Fig. 3, the discharge is closed byvalve D', while the supply is open.

The cylinder g is placed immediatcl y adjacent to the case C, and so thestem d may enter the same and be joined to the piston y. This permitsthe pressure of the water within the main-valve case to supply anyleakage which may occur within the closed valve-circuit G2 gg, thepacking at the box C5 being so contrived as to allow the escape ot watertoward cylinder g, while it prevents any passage in the reversedirection.

It will be noticed that the valves D and D are not exactly balanced,there being at one side of each of them a slight excess of area, againstwhich the water may bear over the area or bearing-surface at theopposite side. This assists the springs in retaining said valves attheir seats and is often a serviceable feature, while it does notinterfere with their operation under the power of the valveoperatingmechanism.

l claim l. In a hydraulic elevator having separate supply and dischargepassages, the combination with the main or reversing valves located inand controlling said passages, of independently-operating safety-valvesalso located in said passages between the said main valve and the supplyand discharge, and means for operating said valves automatically,substantially as specified.

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2. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination of a pair ofoperating-valves for opening and closing the supply and dischargeWater-passages and connecting mechanism for operating the same from thecar, With a separate and distinct pair of independently-operatin gautomatic valves located in and operating to open and close the samesupply and discharge Water-passages, and connecting mechanism foroperating the same automatically from the engine, substantially asspecilied.

3. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination of a pair ofoperating-valves for opening and closing the supply and discharge ofWater, and connecting mechanism for operating the same from the car,with a separate and distinct pair of automatic valves for opening andclosing the supply and discharge of Water, and connectin g mechanism foroperating the same automatically from the engine, said operatingvalvesbeing furnished With springs by which they are held normally closed, andsaid automatic valves being furnished With springs by which they areheld normally open, substantially as specilied.

4. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination with a valve case or shellof a reciprocating valve-stem furnished with a pair of buttons orcollars rigidly secured thereto, a pair of valves mounted looselythereon, a pair of springs for moving said valves in one direction, oneof said valves serving to open and close the supply-passage and theother the discharge-passage, substantially as specilied.

5. A valve and its perforated seat consisting of two telescoping partsfurnished each With a shoulder against which the end of the other abutsto form a tight closure at each side of the perforations in the seat,substantially as specified.

6. The combination of valve case or shell C, having supply-passages c,exit-passages c' leading to the hydraulic cylinder and discharge-passagec2, of the valve-stem cl, valves D D', valve-seat sleeves F F' havingports f, valve-stem 7i, automatic valves H H' mounted thereon, andvalve-seat sleeves K K', substantially as specified.

7. The combination of valve case or shell C having supply-passages c,exit-passage c' leading to the hydraulic cylinder and discharge-passagec2, of valve-stem d, valves D D', valve-seat sleeves F F", having portsf, valve-stem h, automatic valves H H' mounted thereon and valve-seatsleeves K K', said valves D D'and H H' fitting loosely on saidvalve-stems and said valve-stems being provided with collars or buttonsfor moving the valves in one direction, and springs for moving them inthe other direction, said collars and springs being reversely arrangedon the tWo valve-stems, substantially as specified.

8. The combination of valve case or shell C, having supply-passages c,exit-passage c' leading to the hydraulic cylinder and discharge-passagesc2, of valve-stem cl, valves D D', valve-seat sleeves F F' having portsf, valve-stem h, automatic valves H H mounted thereon and valve-seatsleeves K K', said valves and valve seat sleeves telescoping With eachother and having each shoulders against which the ends abut to form atight closure, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of valve case or shell C having supply-passages cexit-passage c' leading to the hydraulic cylinder, and discharge-passagec2, of valve-stem d, valves D D', valve-seat sleeves F F' having portsf, valve-stem h, automatic valves H H mounted thereon and valve-seatsleeves K K', said valves D D' and H H' fitting loosely on saidvalve-stems and said valve-stems being provided with collars or buttonsfor moving the valves in one direction and springs for moving them inthe other direction, said collars and springs being reversely arrangedon the tWo valvestems,said valves and valve-sleeves telescoping witheach other and having each shoulders against which their ends abut toform a tight closure, substantially as specified.

10. In a hydraulic elevator, the combination with a valve case or shellof a reciproeating valve-stem furnished With a pair of buttons orcollars rigidly secured thereto, a pair of valves mounted looselythereon, a pair of springs for moving said valves in one direction, oneof said valves serving to open and close the supply-passage and theother the discharge-passage, each of said valves being furnished With ashoulder and being provided With a loose-fitting perforated valveseatsleeve having a corresponding shoulder, said valve telescoping With thevalve-seat sleeve, substantially as specified.

THOMAS W. EATON.

Vitnesses:

H. M. MUNDAY, EMMA HACK.

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